Band wheel for oil-well-drilling apparatus



Dec. 25, 1923. 11,478,548

J. E. CAMPSEY BAND WHEEL FOR OIL WELL DRILLING APPARATUS Filed April 28 1923 FF QE [Na aural? 0 r v n 1 A'TroRNEY Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

fifial hh JAM-ES ELIEER GAMPSEY, 01 CAI'EERON, WEST'VIRGINIA.

BAND WHEE OIL-'WELL-DRILLING APPARATUS.

Application filed April 28, 1923. Serial No. 635,233.

T 0 all whomz'tmay concern Be it known that LJAMns ELMER CAMP- snr, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Cameron, county of Marshall, and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Band .Vheels for Oil-Vfell- Drilling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to deepwell drilling apparatus of the character employed in drilling oil'and gas wells, and more specifically to a band wheel for such apparatus.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a band wheel which is adapted to be driven by a wire line or cable, thereby to avoid not only the relatively large initial cost and the up-keep expense of the driving belts heretofore universally employed, but also the necessity for replacing such belts at frequent intervals.

As is well known, the belts heretofore employed for driving the band-wheels of drilling apparatus are not only expensive, but require great care for their preservation in use. Further, even with the best of care, it frequently happens that such belts are irreparably injured or destroyed through a slight shifting of the band wheel out of alinement with the drive wheel or pulley of the engine, which causes such belt to climb an end flange of the pulley. Additionally, much trouble is experienced due to changes in the length of such belts created by moisture and changes in atmospheric conditions.

The employment of a wire line or cable has not hitherto been resorted to for the reason that wooden band wheels as constructed heretofore would not withstand the wear of such cable, and that a band wheel made of metal or having a metal rim which would withstand the wear could not be used in association with the required metal sand-reel because of the great danger of ignition of gas or oil from the well by sparks produced through contact of said reel with the metal of the wheel.

As above indicated, it is the chief aim of the present invention to provide a band wheel which has a form and construction adapting it to be driven by a wire line or cable; which will successfully withstand the wear of such cable over a relatively long period of time, and which may be associated with the metal sand-reel in the usual manner without danger of sparks being emitted from their engagingvsurfaces.

A further object is to provide a band wheel which is adapted to be driven either by means of a wire cable or a belt.

VVit-h these and other objects in view,-the invention resides in the features of construction which will hereinafter be fully descdbed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a well-drilling apparatus including my improved band wheel, and

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail. section of the rim portion of the band wheel.

Referring, first, to Fig. 1, of said drawings, A. indicates generally the band wheel which constitutes the subject of the present invention, the same being connected to and driven from the drive wheel or pulley B of an engine by means of a wire line or cable C.

Said band wheel may, and preferably does, have the body portion thereof constructed of a plurality of superposed layers of boards or slabs 1 of wood which are suitably attached together by means of bolts 2. Embedded in the circumferential face of said wheel intermediate the opposite lateral edges of said face is a metal annulus 3 having in its outer face an annular trough-like channel 4 of a size and form adapted for the reception in snugly fitted side-by-side relation of two parallel members of a single coil formed in the wire cable C by winding the latter once completely around the wheel.

To accommodate said cable members in the aforesaid parallel relation in which there is no tendency on the part of one thereof to mount the other, said annulus 3, viewed in cross section, has the bottom of its channel elwholly fiat throughout a width equal to the diameter of the cable. From said flat surface, the opposite sides of the channel curve upwardly to the extent that said parallel members of the cable tend to seat closely upon said flat portion thereof.

The annulus is embedded in the wheel to such a depth that neither it nor any portion of the cable which rides therein can be contacted by the metal sand reel D when the latter is shifted into engagement with the periphery of the rotating band wheel so as to be frictionally driven by the latter, as ordinarily, for operating the baler.

It Will be noted that a belt may, When occasion requires, be applied to the band Wheel for driving the latter in the usual manner, the annular recess in Which the annulus 3 is fitted occupying such a small fraction of the Width of the periphery of said Wheel that no appreciable reduction in the efliciency of the belt for driving said Wheel is apparent.

What is claimed is 1. In deep-Well drilling apparatus, a band Wheel comprising a laminated Wood peripheral portion, and a metal annulus embedded. in said portion below the peripheral surface of the latter, said annulus having therein a channel for the reception of a Wire driving cable.

2. In deep-Well drilling apparatus, a band Wheel comprising a laminated Wood peripheral portion, and a metal annulus of relatively narrow Width sunken in said peripheral portion to a depth in Which its outer periphery is materially below that of said portion, said annulus having therein a channel adapted to snugly accommodate therein in side-by-side relation the two members of'a coil formed in a Wire driving cable.

3. In deep-Well drilling apparatus, 'a band Wheel adapted to be driven either by a belt or a Wire cable, said Wheel comprising a circumferential portion formed of Wood and having a Width to accommodate thereon a belt of the required Width, and a metal annulus sunken in said circumferential portion beloW the surface of the latter and having a channel adapted to receive therein in side-by-side relation the two-members of a Wire driving cable formed in a coil. of said cable which completely encircles said Wheel. In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES ELMER CAMPSEY. 

